Where the Sun Rises
by Saturn's Spawn
Summary: Five-thousand years ago, they couldn't be together. Now, in present-day Japan, do they still have a chance? Especially with the rise of a new evil that threatens their future. SMYGO Hotaru/Yami
1. New Places and Faces

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Yu-Gi-Oh

Ch 1: New Places and Faces

Because there was a seed  
A pine has grown even here  
On these barren rocks:  
If we really love our love  
What can keep us from meeting?

—Anonymous from the Kokinshu

_Within the sanctity of his private garden, Atem felt confident enough to pull a young woman into his embrace. Gently, he tucked her head under his chin as he whispered, "The days never seem long enough." He could feel her reluctantly pulling away from him. Saddened eyes took note of the sun's slow descending journey over the horizon._

_"No, they never do." She whispered forlornly. _

_Gently, he placed a hooked finger under her chin and tilted her head upwards. "Could it be possible…you and I?"_

_With a cheerless smile, she shook her head before gently pressing her forehead against his. "This," she gestured to the quietness of the garden, "is all that we have." _

_"Marry me." He replied abruptly. She smiled as she stood on the tips of her toes to place a tentative kiss upon his lips. He didn't push for anything more and accepted her unspoken answer; however, he held her hands in his for a moment before he felt her slip something into his hand. That was when she started to pull back. He watched as she disappeared in a flash violet light._

_His hand clenched the parchment in his hand tightly._

_Later that evening, Atem lay wide-awake on his bed. Restlessly, he sat up before lighting the candle placed on the small table beside his bed. Then, he pulled out the parchment from earlier this morning, tracing the elegant, hand-written words._

**I have accepted long ago that you are someone precious to me, Pharaoh, but we both know that the Royal Court would never allow our relationship to grow. Isn't that why we've had to meet in secret for the past three years? If this is something that we feel we must hide from everyone, then it wouldn't last.**

**However, I don't regret meeting you.**

**I don't know what the stars have planned for us in their grand design. Beyond this moment, I am uncertain of what will happen to you or me, but if we never see each other again in this lifetime, perhaps in another life, we can find each other.**

_Atem couldn't read the last line because it she had crossed it out completely with the black ink. He read the letter again before placing it on the table. Swiftly, he got off his bed and walked over to the balcony before turning his gaze toward the night sky._

_Underneath that one line of blank ink, Atem would never know she had written:_

**Perhaps in another life, I can finally tell you that I love you.**

Atem's eyes opened suddenly before he sat up; no longer did the sweltering Egyptian heat, the privacy of his garden, or magnificent palace, surround him. Instead, he found himself in Yugi's room—well, their room, now.

He couldn't deny that throughout their last duel, he felt a calling to him, and it wasn't from the past. For that reason, he didn't feel disheartened at all by the fact that he would have to stay. Besides, he thought as he looked at the picture—it was a picture of Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea, and himself—beside his bed, at least he could still be with his friends.

Quietly, so he wouldn't disturb his roommate, the young pharaoh walked downstairs before he entered the kitchen.

"Thirsty?" A glass of water appeared before his face. Atem looked up shocked, as well as embarrassed for having been surprised so easily, to find Yugi's grandfather. He gratefully accepted the offered glass with a nod of his head, tilting his forward slightly before taking a small sip. With a low chuckle, Solomon poured his own glass of water before glancing at the digital clock on the oven. It read, three-seventeen. "It's rather late, isn't it? Don't you have school?"

"I couldn't sleep," Atem replied vaguely, not knowing what else to say. He took a seat at the kitchen table

It had taken almost twelve hours from Egypt to Japan; within that time, Solomon had already told Atem that he was part of the family. Therefore, during his stay, he would attend Domino High with his friends. Solomon had been extremely accommodating about taking in the homeless pharaoh, and for that, Atem was eternally grateful.

"Bad dream?" Solomon asked worriedly while rinsing his glass. When he finished, he joined the pharaoh at the table. Atem only shook his head.

"Now that I think about it, it's not that important."

Solomon didn't believe him, but said nothing more on the subject. "Then get to bed. You have school tom— You have school in less than five hours! Off to bed now!"

A few days prior to this, in the Azuba Juban district of Tokyo, ten young women chatted in the Hikawa Shrine, which Rei's grandfather owned. Their conversation ranged from the weather to their summer vacation memories to their current topic. One of their own, one of the youngest among them, was moving away to another city.

"It won't be so bad," Minako stated reassuringly, although her eyes held uncertainty.

"That's right," Usagi agreed before she suddenly burst out into tears before enveloping the seventeen-year-old Tomoe, Hotaru. Hotaru, not knowing how to handle the situation, could only tentatively pat the sobbing Lunarian princess on the back.

"I have some books for you in case you have some spare time on your hands." Hotaru smiled, accepting the stack of books that Ami presented before her. The genres varied, giving her a variety of books that ranged from mystery to romance. There was even a book or two that focused in helping her become a nurse.

"And if any guys give you trouble…" Haruka trailed off. Both she and Makoto sported a menacing grin that promised pain to any that would hurt their little firefly. "We're only a phone call away."

"That and a good day's drive," Michiru remarked. Everyone laughed as Haruka crossed her arms and scowled jokingly at the aquamarine-haired beauty. Unfazed, Michiru pulled out a wrapped parcel from behind her and handed it to Hotaru. "It's your uniform from Mugen Gakuen."

Hotaru, confused because she needed a different uniform, tilted her head to the side while waiting for an explanation.

Setsuna answered. "We had a _talk_ with your principal. Pink just isn't your color, Hotaru."

Hotaru's confused look gave way to elation. She had seen the girls' uniform for Domino High, and she had to agree. Pink just wasn't her color at all.

"Take care of yourself, all right?" Rei gave Hotaru a look of sisterly concern.

"I will," Hotaru replied. Then, her violet gaze involuntarily turned to her best friend of all, the one who hadn't said a single word since the moment she announced that a family in Domino City wanted to adopt her. Instead, Chibi-Usa kept her gaze lowered where her eyes could only see her tiny fists clenching the fabric of her pants. "I should… I should probably be heading home. I've got a lot of things to pack."

Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru nodded. With that said, the Outers left the room. Immediately following after, the rest turned to Chibi-Usa, who was still looking down.

"Chibi-Usa—" Usagi started to admonish; however, she stopped when she noticed tears sliding down her future daughter's face.

Minako placed her hand on the pink-haired girl's shoulder. "Hey. Hotaru wouldn't want you crying. Cheer up. I'm sure you'll see her again." The others parroted helped in consoling her by parroting the same statements, each reassuring her that they will meet the Saturnarian Senshi someday soon.

After she was packed and ready, the Senshi decided to see her off at the train station. Every once in a while, Hotaru would scan the crowd in hopes of finding the familiar pink hair of her best friend. So far, she had no luck.

"Do you have your ticket?" Haruka questioned while handing Hotaru her carryon bag. Hotaru rummaged through the pocket of her jacket before producing the aforementioned ticket. Ruffling the teen's raven hair, Haruka grinned. "You're gonna be fine."

"Call as soon as you get there, all right?" Michiru, in a rare show of affection, hugged Hotaru.

"We'll see each other again, Hotaru. It's destiny." Setsuna stated with a mischievous glimmer to which only the Outers were privy.

Jokingly, Hotaru crossed her arms and huffed, "Mou, still sly."

The others said their farewells before Hotaru started to board her train.

However, before she took one step, a familiar voice cried out, "WAIT! HOTARU!"

The raven-haired teen turned around in time before Chibi-Usa collided into her, wrapping her arms around Hotaru. Violet eyes filled with happiness.

"Here. So you won't forget me." Chibi-Usa handed a small wooden picture frame with a small, hand-carved bunny painted in white in the corner. It was the picture that had been taken during their summer vacation; they were at the beach where they were covering a snoozing Usagi up with sand. Smiling, Hotaru returned the embrace by wrapping her own arms around Chibi-Usa tightly.

"Forget you? Highly unlikely."

Before she boarded the train, Hotaru looked over her shoulder one last time. No matter where she went, this was her family. She took a mental picture of her friends and this was how she would remember them. Haruka and Michiru were standing off to the side while Setsuna stood behind Chibi-Usa. Ami, Rei, Minako, and Makoto were all waving good-bye, despite the tears in their eyes. Usagi was standing by Mamoru with a smile on her face as she waved energetically. Luna and Artemis, with tails swishing from side-to-side, were hanging on the shoulders of their respective owners whereas Diana was perched on top of Chibi-Usa's head.

Smiling, Hotaru whispered quietly, "_Sayonara, minna_."

Hotaru had been reading one of the books Ami had given her when she felt something move inside her bag. Quickly she glanced around to make sure that no one was looking; she was both relieved and worried to find that everyone was fast asleep. Quietly, she lifted the opening of her bag before a seemingly small black cat jumped out and landed gracefully on her lap.

"I take it you have something to do with the fact that everyone's out cold, Shinpi?" Violet eyes glowed for a brief moment, and Hotaru could have sworn that she saw the cat's lips curl upward into a smirk.

Sighing, Hotaru moved her bag to the floor offering Shinpi the space in the seat beside her that the bag had just occupied. Fluidly, Shinpi hopped off Hotaru's lap onto the empty seat. After stretching, the black cat curled up into a small mass of black fur. Smiling, Hotaru returned to her book while absentmindedly rubbing a spot behind Shinpi's ear that elicited a contented purr from her cat.

"Excuse me, Miss. I'm afraid pets aren't allowed to ride with the passengers." Hotaru didn't even look up at the woman when she felt Shinpi's head rise. A moment later, the young attendant, said cheerfully, "Miss, would you like to start your lunch?"

With a polite smile, Hotaru turned to the woman and replied, "No, thank you."

The attendant smiled and started to leave, but not before giving Shinpi a small pet, "What a lovely cat." Hotaru could hear the pride in Shinpi's purr; she merely rolled her eyes in response.

Once the woman was gone, Hotaru placed the book in her lap and fixed a mock glare on her feline companion. "That wasn't very nice, you know."

"_She was pretty_," a playful, baritone voice echoed in her mind.

Again, Hotaru rolled her eyes. "_Of course, that would be the first thing I hear you think, you perverted little demon. Really, I'm going to have to tell Setsuna that you shouldn't be around Cerberus anymore and vice versa._ _Remind me why I still keep you around._"

"_Because_," Shinpi mentally responded, "_I'm your guardian. You knew it from the first moment you found me three years ago_."

"_You mean when you were stalking me in that tree_."

"_Precisely_."

Hotaru sighed before she leaned her head on her shoulder, trying to sort through the myriad of emotions she felt at that moment. The gamut of her feelings ranged from excitement to anxiety. What if her new parents decided they didn't want her after the first week? What if she did something at her new school that would ostracize her from her peers? What if she never saw her friends again? What if…

"_Your parents adore you, Hotaru. The spent an entire year getting to know you; I don't think they're going anywhere_."

"_Shinpi_," she asked telepathically as she stroked the cat's face affectionately, "_Do you think it was pure luck that I ran into them while they were on vacation last year?_"

"_Luck nothin', Hotaru. It was fate that they found you that day_." Shinpi responded while pressing his head further into her hand. "_And if your new classmates cause you any grief_," He added, knowing Hotaru's second worry, "_I'll just eat them_."

Hotaru smiled, trailing her hand absentmindedly along his furry back. "_My hero. You know, sometimes it's easy to forget that you're just a panther in disguise._" She knew Shinpi was snickering by the way his body rumbled underneath her hand. She only laughed at his toothy grin and the feigned predatory gleam in his eyes.

* * *

  
Saturn's Spawn: And this is where I end my newest story. I decided that there still aren't enough Hotaru/Yami stories around.

Shinpi: You know you all love me.

Hotaru: Why would anyone love a perverted cat.

Saturn's Spawn: Please, leave a very nice review.


	2. Portal to Another Dimension

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Yu-Gi-Oh. I do, however, own Shinpi.

Ch 2: Portal to Another Dimension

At the Domino Train Station, passengers departed the train from Tokyo contentedly, commenting on how they felt well rested. Hotaru, upon hearing one stating that it was the best nap in his entire life, laughed quietly while Shinpi perched himself on her shoulder with a sly grin on his face.

As she walked through the busy throng of people in the crowed station, she kept an eye out for her parents, unaware of the man who was walking in front of her until they collided; upon impact, Shinpi narrowly dodged a falling box when he landed on the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" Hotaru apologized profusely, saying it repeatedly while keeping her head bowed as a visible sign of her guilt for not paying attention.

Taking a chance, she looked up in hopes of not finding anger. What she found was a jovial face of an old man that did nothing to hide the mirth in his grayed blue eyes. He wore a white button-up shirt under a gray suit-jacket with a pair of tan pants. Although he was tall in stature, which most would find intimidating, his jaunty countenance reminded her of Rei's cheerful grandfather.

"No harm done," he stated with a British accent before he bent down to pick up his fallen items. Proper decorum, as well as guilt, demanded that Hotaru help him and so she did.

Among the many items that littered the tiled floor, the one that caught her attention was an old sepia photograph that depicted old ruins of a stone archway. However, it wasn't the ruins themselves that her eyes focused on. No, what caught her interest was the symbol of the Moon and the nine Planets etched on the top of the arch.

"Amazing, isn't it?" The man before her asked, having seen her interest in the photograph. "It was found in an underground gave."

Hotaru merely nodded, not knowing what to make of it. Suddenly, she felt a pain at her wrist; she hissed before looking down to see Shinpi's fangs clutched on her wrist. "Shinpi!" She chastised. Immediately, the black cat, hissing at the picture with narrowed eyes, released her wrist before backing away from it slowly.

"Are you all right, Miss?" The man asked in concern.

Hotaru examined her wrist to find a ring of indentations. Luckily, it wasn't anything she couldn't heal later on when she was alone. Returning the rest of the man's items to him, Hotaru nodded her head, before replying, "I'm fine. It's just strange because he's never done anything like that before." '_What's wrong with you?_'

With a hearty chuckle, the man stated, "Perhaps the little one is spooked. I wouldn't be surprise with so many people walking about."

"Maybe," Hotaru replied, still rubbing her sore wrist. After picking up the last few items, Hotaru handed them to the man whose name, she learned, was Jason. He was waiting for an old friend to pick him up so that they could go over his findings, which had to do with the mysterious archway.

"My parents are supposed to be here somewhe—"

"Hotaru!" Two new voices cried out over the crowd. Hotaru waved to the couple before walking towards them. She turned and gave one final apology. Then, she knelt down and extended her arm forward. Immediately, Shinpi ran up her arm, finding a comfortable position on Hotaru's shoulder. She picked up her sack and waved her goodbye.

'_You bit me_.' Her voice took on an incredulous tone as she turned to pin an accusatory glare on the unabashed cat perched on her shoulder.

'_There was something about that picture_.' Shinpi explained, keeping his gaze forward to the couple standing close by.

'_You bit me_.' Hotaru repeated.

"Hotaru! There you are. We were looking all over the place for you." Her father took her bag and slung it over his shoulder, with a mock reprimanding look. The raven-haired teen only laughed. Sighing, her father shook his head and motioned the new family to follow. As they were walking, Hotaru took the time to examine her new parents.

Her adoptive father, Blaise Avalon, was a writer from the States that moved to Japan when he had fallen in love with her adoptive mother. He was tall man in his early thirties with the oddest combination of dark brown hair and icy blue eyes; however, he somehow made it seem like the most natural look in the world.

Her adoptive mother, Hitomi Avalon, worked as a teacher at an elementary school. Still in her late twenties, she was a very pretty woman with pale skin, long black hair in a low ponytail, and warm chocolate-brown eyes.

Shinpi meowed for some attention, which he received in the form of Hotaru's scratching his neck. The violet-eyed cat responded with a contented purr.

Meanwhile, Atem watched with moderate interest as the people walked hurriedly around the platform, all walking this way or that. He and his friends chose to accompany Yugi's grandfather in his search for an old colleague named Jason.

Along their way, the group passed a family, and, for a brief moment, Atem could feel a strange aura specifically from the daughter and her cat. He stopped, allowing his eyes to follow them, but as quickly as it came, the aura disappeared. Unfortunately, Atem didn't see the girl's face.

"Atem!" Yugi cried out, noticing his friend's frozen position. Stirred from his thoughts, Atem caught up with the others.

Before Yugi could question his friend, another voice greeted them, "Solomon!" Then, Jason appeared before them with a pile of miscellaneous things in his arms.

"Jason, are you all right?" Solomon looked at his friend with concern.

"Oh, yes, quite all right. I just had a little mishap earlier. Nothing broken," Jason replied as Yugi, Atem, Joey, Tristan, and Tea offered to carry some of the things.

* * *

"Well, this is home." Blaise opened the door to their suburban home in a quiet neighborhood. It didn't take long with all three of them working together to get Hotaru's things upstairs and unpacked.

As she stood at the door to her lavender-painted room, Shinpi hopped off her shoulder and onto the bed, where he settled himself into a black, furry ball. It was a comfortable house with three bedrooms.

They gave her the room connected to the bathroom, for which she was thankful. As she walked to her bed, where an already sleeping Shinpi lay, she listened to the wooden floor boards creak quietly beneath her. That would have to take some getting used to, she told herself.

On the small bedside table, there was already a framed picture of Hotaru and her adoptive parents. It was during Blaise and Hitomi's trip to Tokyo that they met Hotaru. Hotaru smiled as she placed the picture Chibi-Usa had given her earlier next to it.

After getting unpacked and settled, Hotaru walked downstairs and into the kitchen to find Hitomi preparing dinner. The only word she could think of to describe the kitchen was homey. It wasn't large and fancy, but it also wasn't so small that everything looked cramped together.

"Hungry? Blaise went out to get a few groceries for dinner, but it should be ready soon."

Hotaru shook her head. "Could I use the phone?"

"Of course. It's right over there on the counter."

Hotaru thanked her and promptly found the phone. Luckily, it was cordless; so, she was able to take it to her room. Once there, she sat her bed and quickly dialed the number she had memorized in her head.

"Hello? Tenou-Kaioh residence," a familiar voice greeted.

"Michiru? It's Hotaru."

"Hello, Hotaru!" Michiru greeted amicably.

"Are any of the others there?"

"Just Haruka. Hold on a sec, all right?" Hotaru heard Michiru call for the sandy-blonde haired Senshi. She heard a thud that sounded particularly like someone falling off the couch followed closely a loud round of curses. "Hotaru? You're on speakerphone now."

"Hello, Haruka."

"Hey, Kiddo, miss us already?"

"Yes, I do."

"Ow! Michiru!"

"You're not supposed to make her sad." Hotaru could hear the mock anger in Michiru's voice.

"It's fine, Michiru." Hotaru laughed. "I need you to look something up for me." By now, Shinpi was up and on Hotaru's lap while listening intently to the conversation.

"What is it?" Haruka questioned. Hotaru explained what had happened at the train station, omitting the part about Shinpi's fangs imbedding themselves in her wrist. She described in detail as much as she could remember of the archway.

'_Good thing you have a photographic memory_.' Shinpi stated telepathically.

When she was done, Haruka and Michiru stayed silent for a brief moment before telling her that they would try to get in contact with Setsuna as soon as possible. With that, the two Senshi hung up; Hotaru, not having a chance to rest since she arrived, leaned back into her soft pillows and quickly fell asleep. Shinpi hopped off her lap and curled up beside her.

_In the stillness of the night, only the black panther noticed the princess's return. Immediately, he rushed to her when she showed no signs of moving from her place on the ground._

'Princess, did the Pharaoh do something?_' Shinpi gently nudged her, hoping for a response. However, he could not have expected her arms to wrap around his neck, nor could he have expected her to start crying on him._

"_Shinpi," she whispered in the most tortured voice that he had ever heard from her, "I gave him my letter."_

_The panther looked down at the girl with sorrow. What did this kind, sweet young woman ever do to deserve this? He looked around to make sure that no one was around to see her cry because crying, he believed, was something one did in private or with truly close friends._

'Everything will be all right_,' Hotaru heard in the back of her mind, '_You'll see

"Hotaru?"

Hotaru opened her eyes at the sound of someone knocking on her door. It opened slightly, revealing Hitomi, who peeked in to see Hotaru looking at her. Hotaru stood and stretched, waiting for Shinpi to follow her, before trailing after Hitomi toward the kitchen table where Blaise sat patiently.

"Did you have a nice nap?" asked Hitomi, who offered Hotaru a bowl of rice.

Hotaru thanked her before responding, "Yes, I did." She preferred not to explain a dream that had to do with her ancient past life.

Shinpi meowed, which sounded more like a whine to Hotaru, who walked over to the refrigerator and poured some milk into a small bowl for Shinpi. She crinkled her face slightly, to which Shinpi responded with a grin because he knew she didn't like milk.

* * *

"Legend has it that this archway is supposed to lead to another dimension. This dimension is a meeting place for the gods." At the Kame Game Shop, everyone sat in the living room, listening to Jason's explanation of the mysterious archway.

"What would the gods gather for," asked Yugi curiously.

"The only thing that was worth a war." Everyone listened intently. "Love."

"I remember this," Solomon continued. "They say that a heavenly maiden fell in love with a young prince of earth, but their people were in a cold war."

"That's right," Jason confirmed, taking a sip from his teacup. He picked up the picture and as he pointed to each symbol, he said the name of the corresponding god, "Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Cronos, Uranus, Aphrodite, Ares, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, and all the others gathered and met with the gods of Egypt specifically—Horus, Osiris, Isis, Set, Anubis, Ma'at, Nephthys, Bast—It was quite the gathering."

Atem was the most interested in the story, although they all paid rapt attention.

"Some say they're still gathering, trying to find some way to bring the two lovers together."


	3. Meeting of the Gods and the First Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Yu-Gi-Oh.

Ch 3: Meeting of the Gods and the First Day

At the very center of the universe, Ares drew his sword, more than ready to fight Set, who seemed anxious to take his frustrations out on the god of war.

"You do realize that, as gods, you cannot kill one another," Hermes questioned in an exasperated voice. For five thousand years, they've fought. Children! Both of them! The others, although silent, shared his opinion.

Ever the raging god, Ares replied without taking his eyes off his opponent, "It doesn't matter. For five-thousand years, I've sat in this room, and I have been forced to endure the presence of this pitiful excuse for a deity."

"You're not exactly the prettiest thing around either." Set retorted.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" A strong arm wrapping itself around his neck pulled Ares back; it belonged to none other than his father. Had he not been in a similar situation, Set would have taken advantage of the situation and sadistically taunt the red-haired god. Unfortunately, he had yet to find a way to overpower his nephew Horus.

Zeus, normally a jaunty deity, sat down tiredly, downing a goblet of ambrosia. He looked up to find many watching him worriedly from their seats at the round table. Thankfully, the surrounding stars seemed to having a calming effect on him. Osiris looked at him with sympathy; five-thousand years, it seemed, was enough time for the two gods to form a bond.

Muttering about the indignity he suffered at having to sit in the corner like a child, Ares hadn't made his present opinion a secret, "What do I care if these two get together or not? That boy isn't even one of ours."

"Likewise for the girl. Brother, Atem just wants to rest in peace." Not that Set cared for Atem either.

"It does seem silly that for the past few millennia or so we've tried to find every reason to keep them apart. We've even used war as an excuse to keep them from being together. Why is it we choose now to bring them together when before we believed a love like theirs could be ruinous even to gods like us?" questioned the infamous Anubis, although the jackal-headed god would never admit to being greatly amused by Ares and Set's little outbursts.

"Who are we to intervene with true love?" the goddess of love and beauty asked gaily, tossing her flaxen locks gracefully over her shoulder.

"It seemed like only yesterday this entire room came to a consensus that Hotaru and Atem should be together," Artemis whispered to her brother Apollo, who continued to strum a tune on his lyre, seemingly unaware of the happenings around him. Seemingly.

Without missing a beat, he whispered back, "That is because it _was_ yesterday."

Then, Ares stood, slamming his hands on the table, "The girl is one of ours. The boy is one of theirs. They should not be together!"

"Technically," an amused voice stated, "they do not fall under either of your realms. They are under ours."

The deities in the room turned to the direction of the voice when one star began to glow with an intense brilliance.

"Amaterasu." Zeus and Osiris greeted decorously. The sun goddess, adorned in the finest of radiant red silk kimonos, stood regally before them. Following behind the new goddess were her brothers, Tsukiyomi and Susanoo, and another deity named Hachiman. They bowed respectfully.

Ares and Set, incensed by their intrusion, moved toward the newcomers; Hachiman stood protectively in front of Amaterasu, ready to fight, and, although they were not on the best of terms, Susanoo was ready to defend his sister. Tsukiyomi, however, opted to stand in the shadows, letting his obsidian eyes take everything in from the side.

The two aggressive gods were restrained once again.

Cronos, normally silent, stood before the sun goddess, "Hotaru is a daughter of ours, and above all else, she is a daughter of mine." He paused to allow Horus's statement about Atem being a son of Egypt. "What claims do you have on either of them?"

The others stood behind him, stating the same thing.

Amaterasu answered calmly, "The moment they were born on the lands that my father and Izanami created, they belonged to our house." She gestured to her kin and long-time friend.

"For seventeen years," Apollo reminded, "that's hardly any time for you to lay claim on these lives compared to the years they have been under our protection."

Her pale lips merely curved upwards. "And what good was your protection against the Negaverse during the Silver Millennium? Or yours when Zorc attacked Egypt five-thousand years ago?" Her eyes scanned the room, daring any of the deities before her to challenge her word. "You seem to forget the destinies that you yourselves have foreseen. When Crystal Tokyo rises, it will cement their future under the realm of our care."

Then, Tsukiyomi chose this moment to add his voice. "Besides, having been born in Japan, Usagi is now a child of mine. All those that follow her fall under my protection."

While the others were silent, Ma'at found her voice, "Atem, in truth, is a spirit wandering your lands. He is still connected to us by the Millennium items."

Amaterasu only scoffed, running her fingers through silky raven locks in annoyance, "A mere technicality. His soul and mind shared the body of Yugi Mutou when the boy solved the Millennium Puzzle. And Yugi," she smirked, "is a child of mine."

"So you're telling me that I wasted five-thousand years over this!" Set shouted indignantly. Now he really wanted to kill his brother again.

"Then what do you propose to do about this?" Isis asked. The mother in her just wanted the children to be happy.

"Absolutely nothing." Amaterasu replied. The others looked at her as if she were crazy. "It has been in my past experience that involving oneself directly in the affairs of mortals tends to have… dire consequences. Besides, if the only thing that ever stopped them in their past lives was fear of a war," she pinned a glare on the gods in front of her before her elegant features eased back into her usual cheerful face, "then what's stopping them this time?"

"It's really all about timing. Knowing when reincarnations should be born or when little boys should get puzzles to play with. Timing," Tsukiyomi commented, hands hidden in the sleeves as of his blue haori when he crossed his arms, "it seems, is something you all have yet to master, given the fact that you've been sitting in this room for five-thousand years."

"Once you get that down, everything falls into place. This is how you interact with mortals without personally getting involved." Susanoo added. He then went off on a tirade about how immortals abuse the term _divine intervention_.

"If all of this had been settled, then why are we all still here?" Poseidon asked.

"I don't know." Mirth radiated from Amaterasu's cerulean eyes, "Why _are_ you?"

* * *

_A rainy day in spring,_

_and this thrown-away letter_

_blows around among the trees_

—_Issa_

* * *

With the coming of spring, life begins anew, making April the perfect month to begin the school year. It was just her luck that on her first day of school, the rain began to fall.

Her mother offered a ride to school, but she didn't want to be a burden; therefore, when Hitomi asked her if she was sure, Hotaru smiled politely and said she was. She didn't want her adoptive mother to be late because she knew Hitomi worked at a school in the opposite direction, and Blaise had already left early in the morning.

This led to her walking on the sidewalk with only an umbrella as her protection from the spring rain. As she continued on her way, a dark red car pulled up beside her. Slowly, the window rolled down and a voice questioned, "Need a lift?"

Hotaru stood there for a moment before closing her umbrella and entering the car. Sitting in the passenger seat, Hotaru placed the umbrella in the back and her bag on her lap when a movement in the bag made her open it, revealing none other than Shinpi. The sleek, black cat curled himself on top of Hotaru's lap. Contentedly, he started to purr when the driver rubbed his head.

"So, when did you get in town," Hotaru asked the driver, "Setsuna?"

"A few hours after Haruka and Michiru told me about your phone call. Quite the discovery, Hotaru." The emerald-haired woman responded as she started to pull out into the street. "I have to say even I didn't see this one."

"Wait," Hotaru said as the very fact that Setsuna was sitting beside her dawned on her, "If you're here, then who's guarding the Gates of Time?"

With a small smile, Setsuna responded, "Why, Cerberus of course."

Relaxing a bit into her seat, Hotaru only mouthed a small 'Oh.' She could see raindrops bouncing off surfaces.

By car, getting to school didn't take long at all. As they neared the school, she noticed two boys running in the rain; one with brown hair yelled at a blond for waking up late this morning. Somehow, she could see Usagi or Minako running in the same manner. Shinpi seemed to be thinking the same thing; he could see Luna scolding the Lunarian princess and Artemis snickering in the background.

The sudden stop jolted them back into the present.

"I have to meet an old friend of mine," said Setsuna as Hotaru moved to leave the car. "If it's still raining later on, I'll pick you up, all right?"

Hotaru merely responded with a nod before hugging Setsuna. The garnet-eyed woman returned the embrace and nodded unobtrusively to the now hidden Shinpi.

Once Setsuna was out of sight, Hotaru looked up at her new school. Domino High was famous for two reasons: Yugi Mutou and Seto Kaiba. Although the residents of Tokyo never seemed interested enough in Duel Monsters, the game was well known enough, as were its champions. She tightened her clenched fists and proceeded to enter. Being surrounded by so many faces, trying to stare at her inconspicuously, seemed so overwhelming. It was the feeling that always accompanied being the "new kid."

Somehow, Hotaru managed to avoid all the stares and found the main office. Inside, the first thing she saw was a white counter. On one side of the room, there was a large abstract painting that Michiru would probably have appreciated better than anyone else would. Underneath it was a line of blue, vinyl-padded chairs. Another student was talking with the secretary behind the counter so Hotaru, being a patient person, sat down on the vinyl seat and stared at the linoleum-tiled floor.

After the student left, the secretary, an elderly woman with hair in a tight bun and glasses on the tip of her thin nose, looked up at Hotaru. "Name?"

"Tomoe Hotaru."

"Classroom 3-C."

* * *

Atem was happy, knowing that he had been placed in the same class as his friends. With class starting in a while, the he and his friends—including Ryou, Duke, and Malik, who started to attend Domino High when the Ishtar family moved here last year—sat in the back corner of the room and watched a duel between Joey and Yugi. Kaiba sat on the opposite end with a book in hand, which seemed to suit Joey just fine.

A few moments before the bell rung, the students scurried off to their seats when their homeroom teacher Mr. Yamada walked into the room. Following him was an unfamiliar face that aroused a general curiosity from everyone in the room. She stood at the front while the teacher wrote something on the board.

"Good morning, everyone." He paused to give time for the greeting to resound throughout the room before continuing. "I trust everyone is ready to work, but before we begin, I would like to introduce three new students." Everyone turned to the violet-eyed girl. "Everyone, this is Tomoe Hotaru." She smiled faintly and bowed politely. When he told her to take a seat, she chose the only seat available—the one in front of Atem's own. Then he gestured to Atem to stand. "This is Mutou Yami." Best not to have anyone wonder why he had a name no one has used in almost five-thousand years.


	4. Immortality Can Be a Fickle Thing

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Yu-Gi-Oh.

* * *

"I shall tell you a great secret, my friend. Do not wait for the last judgment, it takes place every day."

—Albert Camus

* * *

Ch 4: Immortality Can Be a Fickle Thing

When Amaterasu told the other gods that they should do nothing, she had meant it; however, that didn't stop her from worrying. Giving free will to mortals can be tricky at times. The wars that littered the history archives proved just that, but it did nothing to discourage the confidence she had in Hotaru and Atem.

Slowly, she inhaled the distinct smell of sandalwood in the air as she paced through the lavishly decorated room; she didn't notice the visitor standing at the door until a slight cough broke through her concentration. Amaterasu straightened herself and turned to the shoji screen doors. "You're a long way from Mt. Olympus. Wouldn't the almighty Zeus worry?"

The handsome figure of the young god Apollo leaned nonchalantly against the lacquered cypress wood. He walked into the room with a familiarity that indicated this was not his first time here.

"Am I safe to assume that Cronos sent you?" It sounded more like a statement than a question, but Apollo said nothing of it. They both knelt down at a low table, each sitting across the other. With a wave of her hand, two beautifully crafted ceramic cups appeared, filled with hot tea.

"You wouldn't be wrong…" He accepted the offered cup of tea with a single nod of his head in thanks before he added playfully, "but then, you might not be right either."

Placing a silk-clad elbow on the table, Amaterasu daintily rested her chin in the palm of her hand. The tip of her little finger touched a corner of her lips. "If this is about Hotaru and Atem, I haven't changed my mind. They have to find each other on their own."

"Actually…" Apollo started after taking a sip of the warm tea. With a simple flick of his wrist, a golden beam shot out from the center of the table. Within the light, images of several cloaked beings danced through a starry sky. "They don't have a name, but we've taken to calling them _Shadows_."

Amaterasu raised a single eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, "How very… uncreative."

"That's what I told Cronos, but you know how senile he's becoming…" Apollo only grinned, but all signs of his boyish nature faded away, indicating the gravity of the situation. "They are servants of Selarifie."

The cloaked figures disappeared, giving way to a new image. A young woman, smiling sadistically, began to laugh insanely as an alabaster hand wrenched out what appeared to be a soul from an unnamed being and absorbed it. Callously, she watched as the body before her faded away into dust. Amaterasu inwardly shuttered as she stared into gray-blue eyes that glittered with iniquity. With an arrogant toss of her white hair over her shoulders, Selarifie smirked before repeating the process again with a little girl.

Uncharacteristically, the sun goddess's shoulders slumped, showing how weary she had become over the centuries. She closed her eyes to block out the tortured cries of the young one.

"Tell me, what in the world possessed your father when he gave her that amulet." Amaterasu looked at the black jewel the white-haired woman wore ostentatiously around her neck. A dark blue fire danced inside. "Really, an amulet that made what should be mortal immune to a god's touch and sight."

Apollo smirked derisively, "What else could possess the god of all gods? A pretty face that warmed his bed when Hera was angry at him. How was he supposed to know that this _pretty face_ was as crafty as she was?"

"She managed to establish herself as a goddess of an atheistic world," Apollo explained, placing an arm around her shoulders to comfort her, "Started demanding sacrifices."

"She still believes that gathering souls will turn her into a true goddess?" She opened her eyes to see that Apollo willed the images away.

"No." Amaterasu looked at him worriedly. "She believes those of ours will."

"She wants the Senshi."

Only Apollo saw the sun goddess weep. She wept for the lives of the ones she considered her children like any mother unable to help her child. After a quiet moment, she used the silk sleeve of her kimono to wipe away her tears.

"They are daughters of yours." Apollo stated as he helped her stand. "Whatever you choose to do, I will help you in any way."

Resolutely, Amaterasu looked out at the heavens that stretched across her realm, bathed in her light.

* * *

When Setsuna arrived at the Domino Museum, a magical aura drew her toward a door with a sign that read, **Do Not Enter**. Disregarding the sign, she opened it and calmly walked down a flight of steps; she recognized the call of ancient magic beckoning her to come forward. A locked door resided at the bottom of the steps.

Giving a quick look around her, she made sure no one was there before she summoned the Garnet Rod in her hands. She tapped the tip of the key-like staff against the door, which caused the wooden door's dramatic change into stone. In the very center of the stone door was a picture of a flame. Carefully, she placed her hand on the picture and felt the power of her planet surround her.

Slowly, the door slid open, revealing the reincarnation of her good friend.

"Isis," Setsuna greeted pleasantly.

"It's Ishizu, now." Ishizu smiled as she embraced her friend. When she pulled away, her smile faded, "Come. We have much to talk about."

* * *

The day dragged on monotonously for Hotaru. With her chin resting in her palm, she seemed unable to focus on her teacher's lesson. Despite normally being an attentive student, she couldn't stop her gaze from drifting unconsciously to the world outside the window—not that the sight of raindrops pelting the glass was any more entertaining.

Her train of thoughts varied from the identity of Setsuna's mysterious friend to what her friends were doing in Tokyo; however, the sound of a bell reverberating throughout the school interrupted her thoughts. She grabbed her bag and left the classroom quickly in search for an empty room.

Cautiously, Hotaru looked around for any signs of another presence in the empty room. Assured that no one was around, Hotaru carefully placed her bag on the desk and opened it. Shinpi slinked out and stretched across top of the desk.

"_Well, that was the most boring morning in my life…_"

"Well, generally, pets don't go come to school." Hotaru pinched the bridge of her nose as she assessed the situation. Tiredly, she sat down on a chair that was angled in such a way that the door was within her peripheral vision. Meanwhile, Shinpi's head was digging through Hotaru's bag until he pulled a small picture out with his teeth.

Hotaru's eyes widened with recognition as she examined the picture. It was a painting of the arch from the Jason's photograph. "How…When…"

"_I described the photograph to Michiru and had her paint it last night while you were sleeping. She e-mailed it to me this morning before we left_."

Only Michiru could paint it with the exact details needed to make an exact replica of what Hotaru had seen.

"Ok, so explain to me why you bit my hand when I was holding that picture."

"_There was a strange _aura_ coming from that picture_." Shinpi started to pace across the desk, looking far more serious than Hotaru could ever recall.

"Aura?" Hotaru looked at the picture Michiru painted.

"_It was very familiar. In fact, it was the same one as…_" Violet eyes widened as Shinpi stilled, reminding Hotaru of a statue. "_Crash course in history on the eras long before the Silver Millennium __**now**__._"

"Shinpi?" Hotaru looked at her guardian and friend worriedly, especially when he started to pace furiously back and forth across the desk again.

"_It was thousands of years before the Silver Millennium. Those were dark times_." Shinpi's eyes darkened. "_The gods were more volatile than they are now because the boundaries were only tentatively set in place_." He looked at her. "_I think I was only a little bit older than you are now at that time._"

Hotaru's eyes only widened at that statement before she responded, "You _are_ old."

Shinpi only hissed, "_I'll have you know that I happen to be in my _prime _right now." _Ignoring Hotaru's small smile, he continued. _"Cerberus was the only other guardian alive back then. The others weren't born until after the gods settled down in their respective realms. "_

"My mother said you used to have a human form."

"_I did. Cerberus did, too_."

Hotaru grew uneasy at the thought of a three-headed man walking around as if it were normal.

Shinpi, reading her thoughts, stated, "_He didn't have three heads in his human form. The spell that changed us into animals had some rather strange side effects on him_."

"He was drunk at the time the spell was cast on him, wasn't he?"

Shinpi nodded. "_The three heads represent a different side of him. His logical side, his 'sensitive' side, and my favorite, his perpetually drunk side. Hades didn't mind because it made Cerberus more fierce looking._" Then he shook his head, pulling his thoughts away from his nostalgic memories. "_We're getting off topic. Where did I leav—oh, right. At the time, there was a terrible witch 'lurking through the shadows.' Her name is Selarifie."_

"Selarifie?"

"_She wanted to become a true goddess." _Shinpi rolled his eyes, "_Anyway, she was one of Zeus's many lovers. He never was known for his fidelity._"

"Does Zeus still…"

"_Sleep around? Heavens, no. If he did, there would probably hundreds of little demi-gods running around, wreaking havoc with their powers. No, Hera finally got him to stop when she did something no other god has ever done_."

Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

"_She wanted a divorce_."

The violet-eyed girl stared at her cat blankly. "Deities can get divorced?"

"_Well, no, but Zeus doesn't know that_."

"You're getting off topic again."

"_The conniving little witch managed to convince Zeus to give her an amulet. It grants the wearer immunity to a god's touch and sight. With this, she started stealing souls, convinced that if she gathered enough, she would be able to turn into a goddess. With the amulet, the gods couldn't stop her, and they didn't know what she was going to do. They only knew that the result would be catastrophic; they knew they couldn't kill her, so they did the only thing they could do. Every single deity that existed within the Solar System gathered together and, in a combined effort, managed to send her to the farthest corner of the Universe."_

"And you're saying that the archway in the picture has the same aura as this Selarifie?" Hotaru leaned back, trying to absorb all that she heard.

"_I didn't make the connection until now because I hadn't felt her aura in so long_." Shinpi stopped pacing and jumped onto Hotaru's lap, curling up into a little black ball. Hotaru absentmindedly started to stroke his fur, a habit she had picked up whenever she was thinking. "_Zeus tries to keep this event out of the history archives. It wasn't exactly his shining moment in history._"

"Shinpi?" Hotaru stopped petting the black cat, waiting for him to look up. "How did you know what she was planning?"

"_She told me_."

"She told… you?"

* * *

Hotaru had been very fortunate that no one was anywhere near the empty classroom that she and her guardian occupied because if someone did, he or she would have heard the Senshi of Saturn shout, "You slept with Zeus's lover!"


End file.
